


left behind

by dankscully



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 10:58:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9653030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dankscully/pseuds/dankscully
Summary: Gabrielle has a little chat to Argo when Xena leaves them behind. A little vignette about Gabrielle's fear of losing Xena.





	

She wraps the leather of the reins around her knuckles, twisting the pliant material in her hands, an idle distraction. Argo doesn’t say anything, as usual. The strong, silent type - just like her master. Gabrielle unfixes her gaze from the reins and turns her face up towards the mare, studying her calm brown eyes, half-hidden under long lashes. Argo’s ears swivel in Gabrielle’s direction a moment before her gaze shifts, and the pair regard each other for a moment. Then the horse drops her head until the long whiskers on her muzzle tickle Gabrielle’s cheek and her warm breath catches in her blonde hair.

“Do you think she misses us,” Gabrielle murmurs, raising a hand to caress the mares velvet soft nose, “when she leaves us behind?”

A small nudge of her muzzle into Gabrielle’s palm. A yes.

“I miss her too,” Gabrielle continues, her gaze now shifting to scan the horizon, “It’s silly, but I worry that she will get hurt, or killed. I worry that one day she’ll leave us and she won’t come back.”

She turns her head and focuses her eyes on the mare again. Argo’s ears point forward, alert. Understanding, even.

“I dreamt of her standing on the crest of a hill with her back to the rising sun. It was so bright, I couldn’t see her. When I got closer I realised she was stuck with arrows and covered in blood. I started to pull the arrows out, I thought I could save her if I could just get them out. But every time I touched a shaft it turned into a snake, ready to strike.” Gabrielle pauses, her hand stilling against Argo’s broad muzzle, “What do you think it means?”

The mare only regards her from under her long lashes, before dropping her head to nibble at errant strands of Gabrielle’s hair.

“Hey, that tickles,” she laughs quietly, pushing the curious horse away gently, “You’re right. It’s just a dream.”

As Argo moves her head away to graze, Gabrielle glances back at the horizon. The sky has already started to change colour, the first tinge of pink that indicates the beginning of a particularly impressive sunset. She scuffs the toe of her boot in the dirt, weaving Argo’s reins between her fingers anxiously. Xena should have returned by now.

She thinks of the arrows, turning into snakes one by one as she tries to grasp them. Her hands covered in blood.

Gabrielle squeezes her eyes shut, willing the thoughts away.

Suddenly, Argo whinnies.

“Did you miss me?” Xena’s voice cuts through her thoughts.

Gabrielle twists in place, half rising from her position on the tree stump. Xena stalks up the hill towards her, effortlessly silent. She has that _look_ on her face - pleased as the cat who got the cream.

“You were _almost_ late,” Gabrielle taunts, hopping down from her makeshift seat as Xena approaches.

“Well, there was a little more trouble than I’d hoped for,” Xena responds, closing the gap between them in several of her long strides.

Gabrielle frowns. Xena is already taking her hands, unhooking Argo’s reins so she can entwine their fingers.

“What does that mean?” Gabrielle presses.

Xena frees one hand and pushes the shoulder strap of her leathers down slightly to reveal a blood stained cloth. Gabrielle’s free hand immediately darts to the wound, but Xena bats her away.

“It’s nothing, just a scratch,” Xena answers, before Gabrielle has time to ask the question. “There were archers that I wasn’t expecting, an arrow grazed me.”

The arrow shafts turn to snakes in her mind again. Hissing, ready to strike.

Xena pulls Gabrielle to her, drawing their bodies close. The snakes vanish. She nestles her head into the crook of Xena’s neck, breathing in the scent of leather, dirt, sweat. Home. Xena presses a kiss to the top of her head, then against her forehead, her cheek, the corner of her lips. When Gabrielle responds slowly, Xena pushes her nose against her cheek, an inquisitive nudge.

“Hey,” Xena whispers against her mouth, “What’s wrong?”

Gabrielle glances up. Those bright blue eyes miss nothing. She smiles and gives Xena a playful push against her breastplate.

“Nothing,” she lies, “I’m just glad you’re back.”

**Author's Note:**

> im sapphicxena on tumblr, feel free to say hi!!


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